Vehicle ventilating apparatus



Feb. 15, 1927.

HUTCHINS VEHICLE VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed March 18. 1926' 2 sheets sheet i WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Feb. 15, 1927.

WITNESSB fifmM E. B. HUTCHINS 'vsaIcLB VENTILATING APPARATUS Filed March 18. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST B. HUTOHIN'S, OF BANGOR,

VEHICLE VENTILATDTG APPARATUS.

Application filed March 18, 1926. Serial 170. 95,774.

An obiect of the invention is to assure the continuous removal of vitiated air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle and air.

the continued inflow of fresh air without causing a noticeable draft in the passenger.

compartment, and without the common annoyance of the audible whistling of the air currents through the ventilators.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ventilating apparatus for "automotive vehicles which may be convenientlymanually regulated by the driver of the car to control the rate of exhaust of the vitiated Other objects of the invention are to provide a ventilating apparatus of this character capable of a wide range of utility, which will be of simple, ractical construction, which will be rugge durable and eificient in use, which may be manufactured with comparative economy and which will necessitate no material changes in the construction of the vehicle to which it may be applied.

With the above noted and other, objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. The invention maybe more fully understood from the following descri tion in connection with the accompanying rawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic fr mentary view in longitudinal section throng an automotive vehicle showing a ventilating apparatus embodying the present invention installed therein.

, Fig 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the ventilating funnels.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlar ed sectional detail View through the forwa d end of the top of the car.

Fig. g is a sectional detail illustrating the connection of the window operating knob with its associated operating bar.

While I have shown the invention as applied to an automotive vehicle, it is to beunderstood that the drawings merely illustrate one form which the invention -may take, and are not to be construed in a limiting sense.

In the drawings I'have'used the reference character, 10 to designate the body of an automotive vehicle covered b including a roof 11 and a ceiling 12 spaced from each other to define an air circulating compartment, 13 between them which extends approximate ly the full length of the car. Air compartment 13communicates'at its rear end with a vertical air discharge passage 14 at the rear of the car from which vitiated air passes over a deflector 15 to exhaust.

a hollow top The forward end of the compartment 13 I.

communicates with an inlet opening 16 disposed under the, usual vizor 17 of the car.

The vizor serves to effectively trap air and portions of which align with openings 19 in the ceiling of the car. Aligned with the edges of the openings 19 are annular raceways 20 for ball bearings 21. Bolts or equivalenhsecuring devices 22 which retain the raceways 20 in place, also serve to clamp guide rings 23 formed, with inwardly overhanging lips 24 which prevent upward movement of the external flanges 25 at the lower ends of the funnels18. Flanges 25 ride directly on the bearings 21,and external fins or blades 26 on the funnels upon by the air current passin'gthrough the chamber 13 to maintain them with their,

horizontal portions 27 facing rearwardly.

As a matter of fact, in automotive vehicle construction, the ball-bearings 21 m y frequently prove unnecessary. They are primarily desirable'in use of railway cars orare acted ably the ends of v the like in which either end may be the head end, and in which air currents may flow in either direction through the chamber 13.

depending upon the direction in which the car 1s moving.

The forward edge of the vizor 17 is preferably disposed in approximately the same.

which enters the forward end of the air chamber 13. I have shown one convenient means for accomplishing this purpose, which includes one or aseries of adjustable windows or dampers 29 capable of being locked in any desired position of adjustment.

As illustrated, the dampers 29 are pivotally connected at their lower ends by pivot pins 30 to carriages 31.

32 inthe ceiling of the vehicle and carry depending threaded stems 33 receiving the threaded socket portions 34 of operating knobs 35. The dampers 29 are preferably slightly curved, and at their forward ends carrya transverse pivot bar 36. working in arcuate slots 37 in arcuate guiding arms 38 fixed between the ceiling and roof. Preferthe pivot bars 36 carry rollers 39. I

The dampers 29 may be locked in any" position of adjustment by the simple expedient of screwing the knob 35 home until it engages the under wall of the ceiling 12, or engages a reinforcing plate 40 around the slots 32 in the ceiling. To efiect adjustment of the window, the driver of a car partially unscrews the knob 35 and uses it as a handle to slide carriage 31 back and forth in the slot 32 until the dampers 29 have been opened or closed to the desired extent.

While the'pa-rticular manner of mounting the ventilating funnels is subject-to a wide variety of variations I prefer to make them readily removable by mounting them on pivoted sections 50 of the ceiling 12. These sections 50 are preferably hinged at '51 and .retained in place by 'flanged'screws 52. By

removing the screw, the hinged section 50 will swing downwardly carrying with it the ventilating funnels, and the funnels may thus be conveniently replaced and conven- The operation of the deviceissubstantialfly as follows, Thedriver as above noted,

I may adjust-the dampers 29 to regulate the draft of air which enters theeforward end 'of the chamber 13. The fresh air flowing from the front to "the rear of this chamber acts on the'injector member-to reduce air The carriages 31 are slidable in longitudinally extending slots pressures at the discharge ends of the funnels, thereby inducing a flow of vitiated air from the passenger compartment through I 'or other closed vehicle constructions, there .are enough places for an an leak to occur in order to assure a constant supply of fresh air as the vitiated air is removed. In the present construction, the slot or slots 32, as the case may be, afford one convenient entrance forfresh air. Q

In installing this system on vehicles other thanautomotive vehicles, it will be evident that certain changes and modifications may be necessary. However, various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from the invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself, to the details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a closed'vehicle i by the air current exhausts vitiated air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, means for regulating the volume of air entering the air space, including a damper controlling the air inlet, and means for lockingthe damper in various positions of adjustment, guide rails in the chamber in which one edge of the damper "is pivotally andslidably mounted, atravelling carriage guided for movement in the ceiling and pivotally connected ,to the other edge of the damper, and handle means extending through the ceiling for manipulating the carriage from the passenger compartment of the cab.

2. The device described in claim 1, where in the manipulating means includes a threaded extension on the. carriage working in a slot in the ceiling, said handle means on the extension being adjustable to engage the" ceiling andlock the carriage and 'having an air space between its ceiling and roof, of means for inducing afore and aft current of air to flow-through.- said air space when the vehicle is in motion, and

means whereby the air current exhausts 'vitiated air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, including a series of funnels communicating with the compartment and having horizontal discharge ends located in the air chamber, hinged plates constituting sections of the ceiling, said funnels being rotatably mounted on the plate;

4. The combination with a closed vehicle having an air space between its ceiling and roof, of means for inducing a fore and aft current of air to flow through said space when the vehicle is in motion, means whereby" the air current removes vitiated air from the passenger compartment of the vehicle,

a damper controlling the inlet to the air 1 the other edge of the damper, and means for manually shifting the carriage to adjust the damper. 4 n ERNEST B. 'HUTCHINS. 

